Sophomore Chris
Pack
Erskine Women's Basketball To Open At Converse
By Thomas Holland '00
Coach Maggie Peeler enters her fourth season as head coach of the Flying Fleet Women’s Basketball team and has high expectations for the 2003-04 season.
Erskine started four freshmen last year, finishing with its best record since 1998-99 at 11-16 and ninth in the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference.
The Fleet will look to ride the wave of a three-game winning streak at the end of the regular season before they lost to Queens in the first round of the CVAC tournament.
Shakela Fuller (Cross Hill/Laurens High School) is Erskine’s lone senior this season. Last season, Fuller averaged 5.26 points and 1.93 rebounds, playing in all 27 games while serving as co-captain.
Junior co-captain Garreth Smoak (Greenwood/Greenwood Christian) returns to anchor the post for the Fleet. Smoak, a leader both on and off the court, averaged 2.19 points and 2.07 rebounds last season.
Peeler returns a talented sophomore class for the 2003-04 season.
Melissa Woods (Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill High School) returns, after finishing 10 th in the CVAC in scoring with 13.8 points and leading the conference in assists with 5.9 per game.
Anita Owens (Walhalla /Walhalla High School) finished last season second on the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game and led the conference in free throw percentage at 88.1 percent.
Stephanie Jenkins (McDonough, Ga./Jonesboro High School) and Chacee Whittington (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill High School) were defensive specialists last season, and will be expected to increase their offensive contribution this season.
Chris Pack (Fountain Inn/Southside Christian) and Nancy Hart Deal (Charleston/First Baptist) each saw valuable playing time last season, and will help provide strong depth for the high-paced action of the Fleet.
This season’s freshman class is big in both numbers and height.
Brittany Alexander (Pickens/Pickens High School), is 6 feet tall and Leigh Gray (Greenville/J.L. Mann Academy) is 5 feet 11 inches tall and will add depth at the post position, something that was missing last season.
Guards Shantora Irby (Greer/James F. Byrnes High School) and Lisa Jackson (Greenville/Riverside High School) will add speed and athleticism in the backcourt.
Erskine opens the season at 2 p.m. Saturday at Converse College. The Fleet open their home schedule at 6 p.m. Monday as they host Presbyterian College.
